


Lost Cause

by lotr58



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-16 00:13:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19306723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotr58/pseuds/lotr58
Summary: Daryl's thoughts upon discovering that Carol refuses to attend Sophia's funeral





	Lost Cause

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short little thing that came to me after watching the scene in the RV where Carol refuses to go to her daughter's funeral and proceeds to explain why.
> 
> Thanks to TWDObsessive for taking a glance at it before posting:)

_“Why?”_

_“Cuz that’s your little girl.”_

_"That’s not my little girl. It’s some other…thing. …My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time I thought …she didn’t cry herself to sleep…she didn’t go hungry…she didn’t try to find her way back…Sophia died a long time ago.”_

____ _ _

He’d failed. Again. Sitting on the counter in the RV and listening to the bereaved mother talk, Daryl felt the cold and bitter sting of failure once again. He’d been so sure—so confident that they’d find the little girl. So confident that he’d find her and bring her home safely to her mother. He’d tried so hard but, as usual in his life, it just wasn’t enough. His pa was right—he was a screw-up. Always was and always would be. Didn’t this prove it?

Hearing Carol’s words just brought home the fact that he hadn’t done what he set out to do. He’d let her down just as he’d let down so many other people throughout his life.

Looking down at the grimy floor and unconsciously rubbing at the cuticles on his fingers, he found that he couldn’t even face her, couldn’t even look her in the eyes. Not when he’d failed her. All his bravado, his big words and promises about finding Sophia alive and bringing her home safely—all empty words and promises. Sitting there staring at the grungy floor he felt as if the word “failure” was stamped across his forehead for all to see…the message loud and clear. What else was new? He was a Dixon, after all.

Chewing his lower lip, he attempted to calm himself memories flooded his brain. His single-minded search for Sophia. Merle’s accusation that he was devoting himself to searching for a little girl and not his own brother. He’d failed his brother, as well. The thoughts and feelings that came with them were almost too much for him to handle. His entire being was filled with fury and he continued to castigate himself for failing. For failing Sophia. For failing Carol. For failing Merle. His father had been right—he was a lost cause.

With one last look at the grieving woman across from him, Daryl stood and left the RV.


End file.
